Solve soldering iron black tip
Cheap soldering irons are incapable of temperature stabilization, so the (also
cheap) tip becomes black and carbonized after a couple of minutes. Disconnecting
the iron and waiting for most of the heat to dissipate is the only way to get it
back into a usable state. Very annoying, let’s fix it.
This simple circuit will effectively cut the power in half and keep the iron
at a medium, idle temperature.
We control the power with a switch, conveniently mounted in a pedal.
Build the circuit in a plastic box and glue the switch inside the cassette case,
so it can be activated by pressing on it with your foot.
Now connect your box to the power, connect your soldering iron to the box and
put the pedal in the floor. Now you need just press the pedal while soldering.
Warning: Remember to disconnect the power of the box when you’re done. The
box DOES NOT disconnect your soldering iron when you release the pedal.
Cheap soldering irons are incapable of temperature stabilization, so the (also cheap) tip becomes black and carbonized after a couple of minutes. Disconnecting the iron and waiting for most of the heat to dissipate is the only way to get it back into a usable state. Very annoying, let’s fix it.
This simple circuit will effectively cut the power in half and keep the iron at a medium, idle temperature.
We control the power with a switch, conveniently mounted in a pedal.
Build the circuit in a plastic box and glue the switch inside the cassette case, so it can be activated by pressing on it with your foot.
Now connect your box to the power, connect your soldering iron to the box and put the pedal in the floor. Now you need just press the pedal while soldering.
Warning: Remember to disconnect the power of the box when you’re done. The box DOES NOT disconnect your soldering iron when you release the pedal.